What is Gdrive?

In fact, as early as 2006, Google gdrive online storage services were reported, and the term cloud computing was not yet known. After that, there were several articles about Google cloud storage, but it was only recently that we saw Google actually delivering the service.

It took Google 6 years to uncover the long-awaited mystery of gdrive cloud storage services. What makes a company that has always acted so fast take so long? We're guessing that Google just wants to make it perfect ...

What is Gdrive?

Gdrive provides 5GB of initial free storage space, which is not much in the present. Users can upgrade to 25GB (USD 2.49 per month), 100GB (USD 4.99 per month), or even 1TB (USD 49.99 per month) as needed. When users upgrade to a paid account, their Gmail account storage space increases to 25GB.

Gdrive includes file sharing and work collaboration tools, as well as many other features. Of course, this is hooked up to the user's entire Google + account. For example, users can publish pictures in gdrive to Google +, and Google says it won't be long before users can attach files from gdrive directly to Gmail.

Gdrive is an open platform, that is, it uses open standards for application development. Google says it is working with third-party developers and will soon be able to get other features, such as sending faxes, editing videos, and creating site layouts directly from storage services. To install these applications, users need to visit the Chrome Web Store.

Google has been successful in many it fields, including search, smartphone operating system (Android) and social networking (buzz,g+), as a belated it giant.

There are already a number of cloud storage providers that can process your files in a secure location. Despite the belated gdrive, the storage industry has caused a big stir. Here are some industry leaders ' views on the impact of gdrive on the fast-growing online storage market.

Gdrive in the eyes of insiders

"Google Drive's release is an excellent opportunity for consumers to better understand the differences between backup, synchronization and cloud storage, all of which are valuable and meet different needs," said David Friend, Carbonite's chief executive.

Friend says that while the sync service is only for personal use and holds data from different locations, you cannot fully protect your data without using the backup service. "Using synchronization, if the computer crashes, there is no automatic recovery process; it's all up to you, but if it's a hard drive or a computer malfunction and you've already installed the backup service, then you don't have to worry because you know the file is protected without losing information." "

"Google Drive has been there for four years now, so Google's foray into the cloud is not an accident for anyone in the cloud market," says Drew Garcia, vice president of product development at SugarSync. The introduction of Google Drive Service is a good proof that the cloud has entered the mainstream, but it does not address the needs of ordinary users. "

Like most other cloud services, Google Drive does not allow users to sync all files and folders from existing file structures. "This requires users to drag the Google Drive that they need to a different location from the existing file structure." SugarSync lets users access, synchronize, and share all folders without requiring users to place them in another location, without learning new practices. "

File conversions may be a potential problem

Another problem that ordinary users may encounter with Google Drive is that they can use some of the key features only if they convert their documents (such as Microsoft Word documents, etc.) into Google Docs format.

"This raises a few questions: There are now two versions of files, so they may experience versioning problems," says Garcia. Also, users can edit the Google Docs version only in the online state, because editing is in the browser, which means that users cannot use powerful desktop applications such as Word to change the converted document. "

"Ultimately, only when the sender shares the Google Docs version of the file can we say that sharing is easy." If the user shares the original version of Word, the recipient can view the document but cannot edit it. For ordinary users, it is cumbersome to convert all documents into a special Google Docs format to ensure that all processes work properly. "

Speaking of which, there will be some solutions. For example, Nivio is a third-party software provider working with Google to provide a conversion tool for Google Docs to Microsoft Word files, but it must be added separately.

Box is one of Google's partners, using Google Docs as part of its services. Aaron Levie, the company's founder and chief executive, is relatively cautious because gdrive is now a direct competitor to the box.

"This is an exciting moment in the cloud storage and collaboration arena, and Google's foray into the field confirms the importance of the billions of-dollar market," Levie said via e-mail. Box focuses on the enterprise sector (and gdrive is primarily for consumer users), supports more than 120,000 companies, and 82% of the Fortune 500-they need security, scalability, and cross-platform support. Google will continue to be our key partner in Android, Chrome and Apple suite, and we will build the best platform for enterprise information management. "

Another security concern for the enterprise?

John Landy, chief technology officer at Intralinks, argues that gdrive is just another challenge that CIOs and IT managers will face when they try to maintain a secure network and manage file sharing in the cloud.

"Google's gdrive is another hurdle that CIOs and it policymakers need to overcome when they try to secure the enterprise data." Gdrive's release provides an option for employees to share files except Dropbox and box, but with the popularity of gdrive this could be another serious threat. "

"According to our latest survey, 68% of corporate organizations and employees around the world still see e-mail as their primary way of sending and exchanging large files and sensitive data, creating vulnerabilities for data leaks and information theft." While Dropbox and Box are widely used as options for corporate file sharing, they are not secure, and Google is set to spark a boom with a huge Gmail user base.

"While drive is primarily for consumer users, some companies will consider it as a backup solution and the IT department will have to meet the needs of employees to use drive as an enterprise data store," said Tom Gelson, a cloud strategist at Imation Scalable storage. Of course, cloud backup is a cost-effective storage layer, but Google Drive data security--or other clouds--is critical. "

The bottom line, Gelson says, is "if data security is important, make sure you use encryption before using cloud backups to protect your business from potential attacks." If Google Drive's encryption strategy is not up to standard, there are many existing data protection devices in the marketplace that allow organizations to combine existing security infrastructures with a variety of cloud backup offerings. "

(Responsible editor: The good of the Legacy)